Church Music

This is, of course, “The Three Drovers,” I have all the details of this song noted already from blogging it in the Praise to God collection.

Comparing that to the sheet music in this collection, the arrangement is the same but de Luca has made the sheet music easier to follow for singers, with all the lyrics under the staves in his usual format.

Christmas songs with “summer heat” are much appreciated. My daughter heard this playing and instantly knew it from singing it in choirs in her youth.

I made a backing that is more 3/4 than 6/8 this time but is more singable.

Across the plains one Christmas night
Three drovers riding blithe and gay,
Looked up and saw a starry light
More radiant than the Milky Way;
And on their hearts such wonder fell,
They sang with joy. ‘Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel!’

The air was dry with summer heat,
And smoke was on the yellow moon;
But from the heavens, faint and sweet,
Came floating down a wond’rous turn;
And as they heard, they sang full well
Those drovers three. ‘Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel!’

The black swans flew across the sky,
The wild dog called across the plain,
The starry lustre blazed on high,
Still echoed on the heavenly strain;
And still they sang, ‘Noel! Noel!’
Those drovers three. ‘Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel! Noel!’

© 1948 Chappell & Co Ltd., Chappell Music Ltd., London W1Y 3FA.

This is a translation by K. W. Blount from over three hundred years ago, of a Latin text Vexilla regis prodeunt by Venantius Fortunatus that is roughly 1500 years old. It is set to PLAINSONG VEXILLA REGIS here arranged by John de Luca.

de Luca says the translation is “et al” and there are many variations in the text – I have typed his version. Wikipedia helpfully goes through textual variants.

If you don’t have a relic of the true cross to process with it is an Easter hymn. It reminds me of the Dream of the Rood.

Liturgyshare have the chant.

I shouldn’t really attempt this sort of thing on BIAB but here goes.

I

Abroad the regal banners fly,

Now shines the Cross’s mystery;

Upon it Life did death endure,

And yet by death did life procure.

II

Who wounded with a direful spear,

Did, purposely to wash us clear

From stain of sin, pour out a flood

Of precious water mixed with blood.

III

That which the prophet-king of old

Hath in mysterious verse foretold,

Is now accomplished, whilst we see

God ruling nations from a Tree.

IV

O lovely and respendent Tree,

Adorned with purple majesty;

Culled from a worthy stock, to bear

Those limbs which made thee holy there.

V

Blest Tree, whose happy branches bore

The wealth that did the world restore;

The beam that did that body weigh

Which raised up hell’s expected prey.

VI

Hail Cross, our hope; on the we call,

Who keep this solemn festival;

Grant to the just increase of grace,

And every sinner’s crimes efface.

VII

Blest Trinity, we praises sing

To thee, from whom all graces spring;

Celestial crowns on those bestow

Who conquer by the Cross below.

Amen.

This sounds nice in Latin:

Right tune, different translation:

Nice instrumental backing:

I have blogged this before in AOV, but I love the song so I’m doing it again here.

The text is by Henry Francis Lyle and it is set to EVENTIDE by William Henry Monk.

This arrangement is the same as in CWB II and the one below from Voices Together at Hymnary, which helpfully put in guitar chords – it isn’t impossible.

My backing is more fake organ:

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Proper organ:

This is a C15 Marian carol from Germany, using a traditional folk tune that as paraphrased and translated by Anthony G. Petti found its way into the New Living Parish Hymn Book. The tune is ES IST EIN ROS’. I blogged it as “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming”, but it is also CWBII 258, “Behold, a Rose E’er Blooming.”

Breviary Hymns gives some background of its place in the divine office and as a Christmas song. Wikipedia has an extensive post as well as does LiturgyShare. Canto Domino have the sheet music in the same arrangement as in this hymn book, as does CWB II.

As someone who has rarely attended a church with an organist or used this sort of repetoire I am still learning as I go and am grateful for comments and illumination. I’m struggling with the relevance of five hundred year old German folk tunes and what makes them sacred to a current Australian parish. I can only think it would be continuous use in worship, and if a parish hasn’t been singing this sort of music for forty years whether is it is still appropriate.

BIAB has few church organ styles, but I have found by using VST organ sounds, grabbing chords, usually from TIS, stipulating the bass notes from the sheet music and adding the alto line to the melody it gives a more convincing organ sound. It’s still fake though.

Looking at text there is the usual issue that Christmas is in the midst of summer in these parts.

1 A noble flower of Juda from tender roots has sprung,
A rose from stem of Jesse, as prophets long had sung,
A blossom fair and bright, that in the midst of winter
will change to dawn our night.

2 The rose of grace and beauty of which Isaiah sings
Is Mary, Virgin Mother, and Christ the flower she brings.
By God’s divine decree she bore our loving Saviour,
Who died to set us free.

3 To Mary, dearest Mother with fervent hearts we pray:
Grant that your tender infant will cast our sins away,
and guide us with his love that we shall ever serve him,
and live with him above.

Can’t beat real organ:

Choir:

LiturgyShare:

Some liberties have been taken, but it is very pleasant:

I’ve blogged this twice before, but the arrangement by John de Luca is another instance of his adding interest to the song.

I think the consensus after the previous posts was that it is likely to have composed by Roy Crabtree rather than Anon.

Comparing the chords in the oldest version I have in Scripture in Song Book One with the AHB (& CWB II) version using Laurence Bartlett’s arrangment to de Luca’s is instructive.

Perhaps, CWB II should have used de Luca’s arrangement, which also has the shorter notes for “another” that I sang when I was young and still do.

I made a new backing with these different chords.

A new commandment I give unto you,
that you love one another as I have loved you,
that you love one another as I have loved you.
By this shall others know you are my disciples,
if you have love one to another.
By this shall others know you are my disciples,
if you have love one to another.
A new commandment I give unto you,
that you love one another as I have loved you,
that you love one another as I have loved you.

I found this clip that has an even shorter “another” and to add to confusion claims the song is by Elizabeth L. Benson.

I found a post with further claims:

CCLI has several entries for this:
ref 4540290 by Andrew Moore and Aniceto Nazareth
ref 3148734 by Aniceto Nazareth
ref 4200080, Aniceto Nazareth and Richard Lloyd
ref 281945 by Elizabeth L. Benson , which also agrees with https://divinehymns.com/lyrics/a-new-commandment-i-give-unto-you-song-lyrics/
OneLicense has:
13204 Aniceto Nazareth, Andrew Moore
75831 Aniceto Nazareth

on the other hand,
https://hymnary.org/text/a_new_commandment_i_give_unto_you has the author as Roy Crabtree.

In fact the better hymn books say it is anonymous. see for example, https://www.methodist.org.uk/our-faith/worship/singing-the-faith-plus/hymns/a-new-commandment-i-give-unto-you-stf-242/
Laudate (920) says it is unknown.

I’m sticking with Roy for now.

The first song in this collection is a great example of John de Luca adding a bit a musicality to basic songs.

I have covered this Gregory Norbet song when doing the Praise to God Parish Hymn book, where their editors stuck to his original arrangement. This is still available from the Priory.

de Luca has markedly enhanced the arrangement as you can see from his chord substitions:

I’ve used de Luca’s chords for a new backing:

Refrain:
A child is born for us today, alleluia.
He is our Saviour and our God, alleluia.

1. Let our hearts resound with joy
   and sing a song of gladness
   for the Lord our brother is come
   and we are redeemed.
2. Tell the world of our good news:
   Jesus the Christ is among us,
   and his presence we celebrate
   offering peace and our joy to all.
3. Christ is born, the Christ has come!
   Sing everyone: Alleluia!
   Caught in wonder at this birth
   we worship God become man for us.
4. Glory to God, born today
   of the Virgin Mary,
   in a cave at Bethlehem.
   Is there room in our lives for him?

The fifth verse was removed for this hymnal, but Chris W gave us all eight, when I last blogged this:

His name shall be Emmanuel:
God who lives among us.
Angels sing and shepherds cry:
born is the savior our Lord.

The Magi went and worshipped him
with gifts so precious and costly.
In the fervour of their faith
they sought the child who is Lord and king.

The Lord will make integrity
and peace to grow in our times,
a covenant he offers us.
Lasting joy will be ours to share.

Arise, shine out, Jerusalem!
The glory of Yahweh has come to you,
Lift up your eyes and look around!
Radiant is your salvation.

The original:

I am finally getting around to a proper look at The New Living Parish Hymnbook that I bought at a Lifeline booksale many years ago.

Published in 1987 and edited by Father John de Luca it comes from an astonishingly fruitful time for Catholic hymnals in Australia. We had the Catholic Worship Book, Gather Australia, the Praise to God Parish Hymnal and As One Voice all published within ten years of each other.

I have never had an old Living Parish hymn book but this is his new one.

The more I look at the sheet music, the more amazing Father John de Luca’s acheivement was. He only died in 2023 and sadly looking at his legacy on Google, I found AI scraping an old post of mine about him, which is kind of useless.

His home organ did look great.

There were tributes at his death:

Fr John is the eldest of six children who grew up in Coogee.

It is with sadness that I advise of the death of Fr John de Luca.

Fr John passed away today, 18th January 2023 at his home in Little Bay. He was 80 years of age.

Fr John was born in Randwick on 19th May 1942. He was a seminarian at St Columba’s College, Springwood and St Patrick’s College, Manly and was ordained to the priesthood on 16th July 1966 at St Mary’s Cathedral by Cardinal Gilroy.

He served as Assistant Priest at Surry Hills (1966), Chaplain to the Christian Brothers’ Training College at Strathfield (1968), Assistant Priest at the Cathedral (1970), Assistant and then Administrator at Mona Vale (1977) Asquith (1984), Matraville (1985) before being appointed Parish Priest of Revesby (1992). He then served further terms as Administrator of Drummoyne (1995) and as Parish Priest of Maroubra Bay / Beach (1995) before retiring to lesser duties in October of 2007.

There is a lengthy Golden Jubilee homily he gave that mentions his music only in passing:

The thing that is special about this hymnal apart from its clear layout and occasional guitar chords provided by Chris Wilson, are his arrangments. Even with folk mass material he was not content to leave things rudimentary when the music could be enhanced. One idiosyncrasy of the good Father was that all titles are the first lines of the song.

I will likely cover every song here, mainly because of his arrangements, but also because many of the traditional songs are worth another look and better backings. There will be a lot of wind up BIAB church organ, but I have been making a fuller sound of late.

I gather the publisher went bankrupt and the hymnal is sadly, like most other Australian hymn books, AOV excepted, out of print. I can’t find second hand copies anywhere but have a look in old storerooms in the church hall, you never know your luck.

This is the last song in the out of print collection, Revolution, from Emmanuel Worship recorded in 2006.

Like many of the songs it was by Patrick Keady and is a fast rock song to close out the album.

Starting soon I am looking at the New Living Parish Hymn Book so no more rock music for me this year.

My backing is a bit slower and sounds like I am channelling The Angels, theirs’ is faster and sounds more Green Day.

Two more songs left from the Revolution collection and they are both straight up rock songs for a youth rally context. It is from Emmanuel Worship of twenty years ago.

This is a fun rock song, not too long and mostly singable. This one sounds like a gathering or commisioning song but it might need to lose the electric guitar solos. It was written by Gavin Agnew and Patrick Keady.

My BIAB backing has more questionable lead guitar sounds.

Entrance: Holy Spirit Come (Mangan) AOV NG 67

Psalm 103 (McKenna)

Lord, send out yiur spirit and renew the face of the earth.

Gifts: Holy, Sacred Spirit (Brown)

Communion: Holy Spirit of Fire (Mangan) CWB II 110

Recessional: Go Make a Difference  (Angrisano/Tomaszek) AOV NG 52